Lydia was awakened by hunger. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a day and a night, and her stomach had been rumbling for a while.
She slowly opened her eyes, finding the surroundings dim. As she adjusted to the light, she realized she was in what seemed to be a warehouse.
Some sunlight filtered in through the skylight, providing just enough warmth to keep Lydia from feeling too cold.
Where was she? She remembered being on the street, with the sound of waves faintly echoing in her ears. Could this be a warehouse near the beach?
The door suddenly swung open, and the glaring light made Lydia shield her face with her hand. As she adjusted to the brightness, she couldn't help but widen her eyes.
"Awake, are you? How do you feel? Surprised to see us?" Maggie's face carried a mocking smile, ridiculing Lydia's naivety and foolishness. Why didn't she just sign the agreement? Instead, she had to make things so complicated, only to end up in their hands anyway?
Ron stood next to Maggie, his gaze cold and unfamiliar to Lydia, making her feel like she was facing a venomous snake.
"Did you kidnap me?" Lydia asked.
Maggie clicked her tongue twice. "Darling sister, don't be so harsh! How could this be a kidnapping? We simply wanted to invite you back for a nice chat. Besides, we rescued you from the busy street. Otherwise, wouldn't you have been run over by passing cars?"
Lydia stared at them, eyes wide. "What do you want? I won't give you my grandfather's inheritance!"
"Lydia! I don't think you've realized your situation yet. Do you think you have a choice?" Ron sneered and took out an agreement. "Sign it obediently; it's beneficial for both you and us."
Filled with grief and anger, Lydia spat at Ron, "You beast! Bastard! This is illegal! I'll call the police and have you arrested!"
"Haha, that's if you can get out first. At this point, do you think you can leave if you don't sign this agreement?" Ron's mocking smile irritated Lydia's nerves. She clenched her fists, her mind unexpectedly clear.
She surveyed the warehouse, considering her escape options. With her hands and feet weak, even if she wanted to run, she didn't have the strength.
Lydia suddenly quieted down, surprising Maggie and Ron.
After a moment of silence, Lydia spoke again, "Fine, bring me some food first. I'm hungry now, too weak to sign anything!"
Maggie frowned. "Don't try to play tricks!"
"What? Can't you even fulfill such a small request? Or are you afraid that if I eat, I'll escape?" Lydia knew in her heart that whether she signed or not, she would die. These despicable people wouldn't let her go!
She hated it! Hated the injustice of fate! Hated herself for being so blind, falling for such a heartless man! And hated the cruelty of these scoundrels!
She couldn't die; she had to live. She had to get revenge! She would make sure these scoundrels had no place to bury themselves!
"You're not capable of that!" Ron sneered and signaled Maggie to prepare some food for Lydia. Maggie grumbled but went out anyway. After a while, she brought Lydia a bowl of noodles and a bowl of water.
Hungry, Lydia ate quickly without saying much. When she finished the noodles, she poured the water onto the ground, "The water's cold! I want hot water!"
Ron signaled to Maggie, and she reluctantly went out again. When she returned, she brought Lydia a bowl of hot water, steaming gently.
Gritting her teeth, Lydia stepped forward and grabbed the hot water from Maggie's hand, then swiftly threw it at Ron's face.
Caught off guard, Ron was scalded by the boiling water, which also broke the skin on his scalp as the bowl shattered on his head. Blood mixed with water dripped down his face, making him look somewhat miserable.
"Ahh!"
Ron cried out in pain, and Maggie rushed forward to check on him. Seizing the opportunity, Lydia dashed for the door.
"Don't worry about me! That bit*h has run away!"
Ron, his face twisted in pain, covered the wound on his head with one hand and hurriedly chased after Lydia, with Maggie following closely behind.
Lydia didn't know if it was lucky or unlucky, but there wasn't a soul outside the warehouse. However, not far away seemed to be a cliff, with the deep blue sea below.Ron and Maggie caught up with her. Despite her desperation, Lydia ran without considering anything else. Betrayal and pain filled her mind with only one thought: she mustn't let Ron and Maggie succeed. She couldn't let them capture her again.Running frantically, Lydia failed to notice that the direction of her escape was flawed. Her strength waned, and her steps gradually lost their initial lightness. Gasping for air, her lungs felt as if they were stuffed with sponges, making it hard to breathe.In contrast, despite his injury, Ron, being a man, quickly caught up with Lydia's pace. Maggie followed closely behind.As Lydia ran, she realized there was no path ahead anymore. The surging waves crashed against the cliffs, roaring menacingly.Lydia froze in her tracks, despair filling her eyes."Why aren't you running, you b
Six years later—Nova City Airport, just landed from Paris.Among the crowd, a woman slowly walked out from the exit passage. She had long, golden hair, so silky and shiny that it could rival those models in shampoo commercials.The woman had slender wrists, and delicate fingers were holding onto a soft and adorable Wythe. Wythe was about five years old, with a round face that looked serious at the moment, only his eyes were darting around mischievously, making him look particularly cute and clever.Since landing from the plane and setting foot on the land of Nova City again, Wythe noticed that his mother's mood seemed somewhat off. Therefore, he behaved very well along the way, not causing any trouble.Lydia's heart was filled with mixed emotions. She was back!After jumping into the sea years ago, she miraculously survived, rescued by a kind person and taken out of the country. It was the lowest point in her life, being alone in a foreign land with no family, no friends, and no job.
Lambert's eyes flickered with a hint of complexity for a moment, but quickly returned to calmness.He finished urinating, zipped up his pants, washed his hands at the sink, and then slowly walked over to Lydia, removing her hand covering her eyes.Lydia's gaze darted around, her face flushed, not knowing where to look. Lambert's action made her feel like a cat with its tail stepped on, and she pushed Lambert's hand away instinctively."What, what do you want?"Lambert's dark eyes were deep, his demeanor calm and indifferent as he pointed to the prominent smoking pipe symbol on the restroom door. "Miss, this is the men's restroom, you've walked into the wrong place."Swish!Lydia felt extremely embarrassed and angry.Her face felt like it was burning. She stuttered out an apology, "S-sorry!"Then, with her head down and eyes closed, she awkwardly crouched under Lambert's arm and hurriedly escaped.A faint scent seemed to linger in the air, and Lambert watched the flustered figure with
“Ahem, ahem...”Lydia, who was sipping her soup, choked a bit. Setting down her bowl, she stared in surprise at her son sitting across from her. “Wythe!”Wythe calmly put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth. “Mom, haven’t you noticed how his eyes light up when he looks at you?”Lydia felt a bit speechless as she rested her hand on her forehead. Was her child really this perceptive? “Wythe, how many times have I told you to watch less TV?”With his round, sparkling eyes, Wythe looked at Lydia seriously. “Mom, I’m not making this up. It’s just that you’re a bit slow. I can tell that Uncle Fraine likes you!”Rolling her eyes, Lydia sighed. “Come on! Did you notice that I don’t like him?”“Of course I did! That’s why I didn’t let him stay for dinner earlier!”Faced with Lydia’s stunned expression, Wythe, feeling a bit helpless, furrowed his brows and added, “Mom, when are you going to help me find a dad?”“Well, I don’t have any plans for that at the moment.”Lydia looked at her son w
Early the next morning, Lydia received a call from Andrew, saying he wanted to treat them to a welcome-back celebration.Lydia felt a bit resigned; this was just how Andrew was sometimes—so considerate that she couldn't even bring herself to refuse.After quickly getting herself and Wythe dressed, Lydia took Wythe downstairs.Andrew had been waiting for half an hour, but there was no trace of displeasure on his face. He enjoyed this waiting process, watching his beloved step closer to him step by step. His heart felt warm, and his smile softened even more."Good morning, Andrew!""Good morning!"Wythe, with his serious expression as usual and a hint of confusion in his eyes, indicating he hadn't fully woken up, looked adorably drowsy.Lydia affectionately ruffled Wythe's hair. "Sweetheart, you can sleep a bit more in the car."Andrew felt a bit embarrassed. "Did I come too early and disturb you? After all, you just came back from Paris, and I'm sure the jet lag hasn't worn off yet. I'
Lydia was on the verge of going mad with anger at this scumbag. Even though she was a bit far away and couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, hitting a woman was definitely not right!Filled with rage, Lydia first went forward to help the woman up, and then she stopped the man who was about to leave.As soon as the woman was helped up by Lydia, she bowed her head and thanked Lydia before hurrying away as if fleeing, clearly feeling guilty.Lydia didn't notice this, because she saw the man's face turning towards her, and she was utterly dumbfounded.It was the pervert who had been misbehaving in the restroom!Lambert's eyes stared closely at Lydia's face, his expressionless face exuding an indifferent aura that made people inexplicably fearful.Lydia felt a bit intimidated, but she secretly clenched her fists to encourage herself."Don't you think what you did just now was too much? Is it necessary to be so brutal to a woman? I think you owe that woman an apology...""Do you know
"Hey, are you back to your senses?"Like the low, husky tones of a cello, the voice smashed into Lydia's ears, abruptly waking her up.She raised her head and met a pair of mocking eyes, suddenly infuriated!Thinking about how she had been inexplicably molested by this man, Lydia's face flushed with heat."You! Bastard!" Lydia was furious and lost her temper, not mincing her words. She then noticed that the people who had chased after them earlier seemed to have left.Lambert extended his slender fingers, lightly touching Lydia's delicate red lips. The mockery in his eyes didn't diminish. "Is that so? It seems like you enjoyed it too... Mm!"Before Lambert could finish his sentence, he felt a sharp blow between his legs. The spot that was previously alert suddenly became limp with pain. His usually calm and indifferent face twisted slightly, veins popping on his forehead in an instant.Lydia pushed Lambert away all of a sudden, and then, with her chin raised slightly, she looked at th
Following that, a cry of pain came from outside the car. "Ah! My leg!"Lydia's face paled. She hurriedly got out of the car to check the situation.Fortunately, there was no gruesome scene with blood splattering everywhere, which somewhat eased Lydia's mind. However, the situation before her didn't seem optimistic.A middle-aged man lay in front of her car, wearing a suit that still seemed intact. Beside him, a briefcase lay on the ground, with documents scattered around.There was a slight dent in the front of the car, resembling the aftermath of hitting someone.The man was clutching his leg tightly, wailing, "Ah! My leg is broken! It hurts so much!"Lydia furrowed her brow. Although she might have been distracted at the time, she had slammed on the brakes the moment she saw the person. Moreover, although she had heard a collision, it didn't sound like the impact of a physical body!But looking at his painful expression, it didn't seem like an act. For a moment, Lydia felt extremely
Using their son as a shield might seem a bit embarrassing, but it was undeniably effective. Sure enough, upon hearing Wythe's name, Lydia paused her resistance to Lambert. She struggled to move her legs and began to make her way toward her home.What should have been a short ten-minute walk turned into a half-hour ordeal due to Lydia's difficulty in moving. During this time, she even awkwardly made a trip to the restroom. As she entered the later stages of her pregnancy, not only had her legs swollen, but her trips to the bathroom had also increased significantly. Just moments ago, she had finished a latte, which made the situation even more awkward—suddenly needing to find a restroom while walking.Lambert, while unaware of the many inconveniences pregnancy could bring, couldn't help but feel like a negligent husband and father as he watched Lydia struggle. He realized he knew nothing about what she was going through. Seeing her in such discomfort made his heart
Lambert closed his eyes, trying to calm the turmoil in his heart. He had truly found Lydia!"Sorry, Lydia, I think I got a bit carried away!"Could this be a dream? If it is, he hoped he'd never wake up.Lydia was at a loss for words. This wasn't just being a bit excited; he was clearly overwhelmed!She decided to change the subject. "Lambert, how's Wythe doing?" Her son was the person she cared about most, and the one she felt she owed the most to."He's fine, but he really misses you. I didn't expect that after all this time, you wouldn't even call once."Hearing this, Lydia lowered her head, guilt washing over her. In some ways, she knew she hadn't been a very good mother. She had neglected her son for her own feelings."I'm sorry..."Lambert sighed softly, a mix of emotions swirling within him. "You don't need to apologize, Lydia. It's all my fault. If I hadn't misunderstood you, you wouldn't have felt the need to leave Nov
Debby felt a sudden jolt, her ears turning bright red. Being caught doing something wrong and exposed in public was a uniquely uncomfortable experience."Uh, I..."Lambert's heart raced. Could it be that he finally found the right place? Was Lydia really at this kindergarten?Fearing he might startle her, he spoke gently, his tone patient. "Debby, there's been a misunderstanding between Lydia and me. I care about her deeply, and I can't lose her. I don't know how you've interpreted our situation, but as her friend, I assume you want her to be happy too?"Debby hesitated at his words. Was this man truly a scoundrel? Upon reflection, Lydia had only mentioned that she had divorced her partner and left Nova City due to some circumstances. She had never spoken ill of her ex-husband, so perhaps she had misjudged him?Debby's expression shifted, yet she still seemed unsure. Lambert seized the moment to ask, "Debby, Lydia hasn't left, has she?""How
Lydia could hardly believe her ears, but Debby wouldn't lie to her. So, Lambert had really come looking for her.Her emotions were a whirlwind. It had been nearly five months since she left. During this time, she had come to Y City alone, found a job at a kindergarten, and gradually found some peace.Being away from the chaos allowed Lydia to reflect on herself, and she realized that the situation with Lambert wasn't entirely his fault. While he sometimes acted presumptuously, his intentions were good—he always acted out of concern for himself. Each argument only chipped away at their relationship.No bond can withstand constant fighting.Lost in thought, Lydia absentmindedly traced her fingers over her phone screen. Should she reach out to Lambert? According to Debby, he was probably headed to Rong City.She lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes casting shadows over her troubled eyes. When she first heard that Lambert was looking for her, her
As Lambert stepped out of the apartment, a lost look lingered in his eyes. For the past few months, he had been caught in a cycle of hope and disappointment almost every single day.He should have been used to it by now, but each time he felt let down, hurt, and increasingly restless. The longer the search went on, the more he worried about whether he would ever find Lydia."Hey, don't be too downcast. Finding someone is like this; as long as you persevere, you will eventually locate them!"Lambert nodded at her comforting words, knowing well that now wasn't the time to give up."Lambert, since you haven't found her yet, what's your next move?"He frowned slightly. "I think I'll stay here for a while. According to the information my friend gave me, there might be another Lydia in City Y."She sighed. "You really have it tough. How long do you think it will take to find her? It's like searching for a needle in a haystack!""It's okay;
Upon seeing the information, Lambert felt as though he'd been tirelessly searching, only to stumble upon the answer effortlessly.Watching him hold the household registry, his hands trembling, the elderly woman knew that this young man truly loved his wife. She couldn't help but sigh. Why couldn't people just talk things out calmly instead of storming off? When this Lambert finally found his wife, she made a mental note to have a good talk with her. After all, finding someone who genuinely loves you these days isn't easy, especially someone as handsome and devoted as him.As she shared more advice, Lambert listened attentively. A couple of hours later, there he was, standing outside apartment 803 of Building 6, disguised in a delivery uniform, complete with a sunhat and a package in hand.*Ding dong, ding dong...*Lambert stood at the door, feeling anxious. He feared the person inside wouldn't be Lydia, but also worried they wouldn't answer at all.
The intense longing Lambert felt was like ants gnawing at his heart—an unbearable pain that consumed him. Yet, this separation made him realize even more clearly how deeply Lydia had become a part of his life. Without her, he felt utterly lost, as though she had completely permeated his existence without him even noticing.After a brief rest, Lambert began his search for information. He quietly arrived at the neighborhood where one of the pregnant women named Lydia was living and started asking around about her."You seem unfamiliar. You're not from around here, are you?" An elderly woman approached him, curiosity in her eyes.Lambert's heart leaped at the question. He had been wondering how to start the conversation, and now someone had given him the perfect opportunity. "You've got a sharp eye, ma'am. I'm new here.""I thought so! We don't usually see such a handsome young man in our neighborhood," the woman commented."Are you here for work, or are you planning to settle down? You
Lambert knelt down, meeting Wythe's eyes, and asked gently, "Wythe, are you sure this is what you want? Staying here while we're away—won't you feel lonely?"Though Wythe didn't want to be separated from his father, he wanted even more for his dad to focus fully on finding his mom, so they could all be together again. There's a saying about temporary separation being for a longer reunion—something like that."If I miss you, I can always call or video chat! Don't worry, Dad, I'm all grown up now—I won't embarrass you!"Lambert ruffled Wythe's hair, pride swelling in his chest. "You'll always be my best son! Both your mom and I are so proud of you."Wythe blushed a little. "Dad, don't praise me in front of everyone like this, I might actually get too proud!"Thera, standing nearby, burst into laughter at his bashful expression and swooped in to pick him up, giving him a playful kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry, Lambert. I've got Wythe covered. He'll be just fine with me."Andrew chimed i
Lambert carefully tucked Wythe into bed before solemnly opening the letter Lydia had left behind."...Lambert, by the time you read this letter, I'll probably already be in another city. I'm not sure if we'll ever see each other again.Sometimes, I wonder how we ended up like this. We once loved each other so deeply, but now, we've only caused each other endless pain.There's nothing going on between Andrew and me. I don't know if you'll believe me when I say this, but when I first found out I was pregnant again, I wanted to tell you the truth. Sadly, it seemed like you weren't willing to listen.I tried, again and again, to get back together with you, but no matter how hard I tried, it felt like we were two parallel lines—never to intersect again.Lambert, I don't know if I'm making the right decision, or even why I'm doing this. I just know that if I stayed in Nova City, I would lose my mind. So I've decided to leave. I need to find a place where no one knows me, and I don't know an